Do not forget to feed the birds especially through the hard part of winter. Winter food should have a little fat, dried fruit, and sunflowers for ingredients. Suet becomes important for winter birds because of its fat content.
Here is one recipe for cheaper homemade suet cakes:
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds.
- ⅓ cup Nyjer seeds.
- ½ cup dried fruit, soaked overnight.
- ½ cup unsalted peanuts.
- 1 cup lard or beef suet or peanut butter (crunchy or smooth).
- Hanging bird feeder(s) suitable for fat balls.
- Mix and refrigerate a couple of days.
- Put in suet feeders or suet socks and hang in a tree.
- You can roll pinecones in the mix and hang.
If you want to use bird feeders from the store, then is great also. Use a higher energy bird food with nuts and berries when it gets really cold outside.
It is always fun to watch birds like colorful blue jays, cardinals, woodpeckers, and finches in the dead of winter. Birds will also eat many weed seeds still on the plant in your yard or garden that otherwise might grow.
